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Research is a process of inquiry that is carried out in a pondered, organized, and strategic manner. In order to obtain high quality results, it is important to understand methodology.
Research methodology refers to how your project will be designed, what you will observe or measure, and how you will collect and analyze data. The methods you choose must be appropriate for your field and for the specific research questions you are setting out to answer.
A strong understanding of methodology will help you:
Below, you will find resources that mostly cover general aspects of research methodology. In the left column, you will find resources that specifically cover qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods research.
Basic Research Methods
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This book offers a comprehensive and well-rounded view of research as a tool for problem-solving in the wide range of the social sciences. It is built on the foundation of philosophical pragmatism, postulating that the value of knowledge and research methodologies lie in their usefulness in engaging with the real world. The book synthesizes both positivist and non-positivist methodologies. It is meant for students who are undertaking their first research course or project. The techniques, while basic in nature, are used in many masters and doctoral research studies. The book uses engaging language, real-life examples from various subject areas and follows an inductive approach. With the help of this book, from an experiential base, students should be able to build a more advanced conceptual and theoretical understanding of research through further reading and practice. This book discusses a policy-applied-pure-action model of research covering both quantitative and qualitative methods for case study, survey and experimental designs. It pays considerable attention to measurement principles and to data analysis techniques that make practical use of Microsoft Excel for analysis of both words and numbers. It includes a building block approach to writing, as well as the author's thoughts on application of research in the real world.
A Gentle Guide to Research Methods
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Provides an overview of research methods, including research design, data collection methods, statistics, and academic writing. This book also includes a coverage of data collection methods - from interviews to indirect observation to card sorts.
Encyclopedia of Survey Research Methods
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To the uninformed, surveys appear to be an easy type of research to design and conduct, but when students and professionals delve deeper, they encounter the vast complexities that the range and practice of survey methods present. To complicate matters, technology has rapidly affected the way surveys can be conducted; today, surveys are conducted via cell phone, the Internet, email, interactive voice response, and other technology-based modes. Thus, students, researchers, and professionals need both a comprehensive understanding of these complexities and a revised set of tools to meet the challenges. In conjunction with top survey researchers around the world and with Nielsen Media Research serving as the corporate sponsor, the Encyclopedia of Survey Research Methods presents state-of-the-art information and methodological examples from the field of survey research. Although there are other 'how-to' guides and references texts on survey research, none are as comprehensive as this encyclopedia, nor do they present the material in such a focused and approachable manner. With more than 600 entries, this resource uses a Total Survey Error perspective which considers all aspects of possible survey error from a cost/benefit standpoint.#65533;Key Features Covers all major facets of survey research methodology, from selecting the sample design and the sampling frame, designing and pretesting the questionnaire, data collection, and data coding, to the thorny issues surrounding diminishing response rates, confidentiality, privacy, informed consent and other ethical issues, data weighting, and data analyses Presents a Reader#65533;s Guide to organize entries around themes or specific topics and easily guide users to areas of interest Offers cross-referenced terms, brief listing of further readings, and stable website URLs following most entries Provides appendices that include a general bibliography to build on 'Further Readings,' an annotated list of organizations relevant to survey research, and sample survey designs and actual instruments to further offer the user guidance in designing his or her own research The Encyclopedia of Survey Research Methods is specifically written to appeal to beginning, intermediate, and advanced students, practitioners, researchers, consultants, and consumers of survey-based information.
Case Study Research Methods
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More people than ever are using case studies in research, yet there is very little guidance on how to construct case studies effectively. Drawing on his vast experience of teaching and mentoring researchers, Bill Gillham here provides a comprehensive guide to this popular method of research.Using real-life examples throughout, Case Study Research Methods guides the reader through all the stages of a case study, from initial design to the processing and writing up of findings. Especially detailed guidance offered on observation techniques, using documentary and electronic sources and physical artifacts, conducting interviews and analyzing and writing up case-study data.
Research Methods: the Basics
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Research Methods: The Basicsis an accessible, user-friendly introduction to the different aspects of research theory, methods and practice. Structured in two parts, the first covering the nature of knowledge and the reasons for research, and the second the specific methods used to carry out effective research, this book covers: Structuring and planning a research project The ethical issues involved in research Different types of data and data quality Analysing and organising data to draw sound conclusions Writing up and displaying data in effective ways @text:Complete with a glossary of key terms and guides to further reading, this book is an essential text for anyone coming to research for the first time, and is widely relevant across the social sciences and humanities.
The SAGE Encyclopedia of Social Science Research Methods
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Appreciative users of this volume will be students, faculty, and researchers in academic, special, and large public libraries, for whom it is recommended′ - Library Journal ′The compilers of this impressive, unique work claim it "brings together, in one place, authoritative essays on virtually all social science methods topics, both quantitative and qualitative" - a claim examination supports. More than 400 contributors from the US and abroad present approximately 1,000 comprehensive, in-depth, well-referenced entries that vary in length from 50 to 2,500 words. The attractively designed and produced volumes, 1,351 total pages, consist of easily legible text and figures, the front matter occupying 46 pages and the index 40.... This defining work will be valuable to readers and researchers in social sciences and humanities at all academic levels. As a teaching resource it will be useful to instructors and students alike and will become a standard reference source. Essential for general and academic collections′ - Choice SAGE Reference is proud to announce The SAGE Encyclopedia of Social Science Research Methods, a three-volume resource that is a first of its kind, developed by the leading publisher of social science research methods books and journals. This unique multi-volume reference set offers readers an all-encompassing education in the ways of social science researchers. Written to be accessible to general readers, entries do not require any advanced knowledge or experience to understand the purposes and basic principles of any of the methods. The Encyclopedia features two major types of entries: definitions, consisting of a paragraph or two, which provide a quick explanation of a methodological term; and topical treatments or essays, discussing the nature, history, application/example and implication of using a certain method. Also included are suggested readings and references for future study. To help provide a more complete explanation than is often achieved within the scope of a single article, key terms and concepts appear in small capital letters to refer readers to related terms explained elsewhere. In addition to epistemological issues that influence the nature of research questions and assumptions, The SAGE Encyclopedia of Social Science Research Methods tackles topics not normally viewed as part of social science research methodology, from philosophical issues such as poststructuralism to advanced statistical techniques. In covering the full range of qualitative and quantitative data analyses, this key reference offers an integrated approach that allows the reader to choose the most appropriate and robust techniques to apply to each situation. Many entries treat traditional topics in a novel way, stimulating both interest and new perspectives. One example is the entry Econometrics, by Professor Damodar Gujarati. Following a process which many educators preach but seldom practice, Gujarati walks the reader twice through the research process from economic theory to data and models to analysis, once in principle and a second time with an example. In using the ordinary process of economic research to achieve an extraordinary impact, he leaves the reader thinking not only about methods and models but also the fundamental purpose of econometrics. Topics Covered: - Analysis of Variance - Association and Correlation - Basic Qualitative Research - Basic Statistics - Causal Modeling (Structural Equations) - Discourse/Conversation Analysis - Econometrics - Epistemology - Ethnography - Evaluation - Event History Analysis - Experimental Design - Factor Analysis and Related Techniques - Feminist Methodology - Generalized Linear Models - Historical/Comparative - Interviewing in Qualitative Research - Latent Variable Model - Life History/Biography - Loglinear Models (Categorical Dependent Variables) - Longitudinal Analysis - Mathematics and Formal Models - Measurement Level - Measurement Testing and Classification - Multiple Regression - Multilevel Analysis - Qualitative Data Analysis - Sampling in Surveys - Sampling in Qualitative Research - Scaling - Significance Testing - Simple Regression - Survey Design - Time Series Key Features: - Over 900 entries arranged A to Z Each entry is written by a leading authority in the field, covering both quantitative and qualitative methods - Covers all disciplines within the social sciences - Contains both concise definitions and in-depth essays - Three volumes and more than 1500 pages
Encyclopedia of Research Design
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Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods
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An informative real-world guide to studying the "why" of human behavior Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods is a practical, comprehensive guide to the collection and presentation of qualitative data. Unique in the market, this book describes the entire research process -- from design through writing -- illustrated by examples of real, complete qualitative work that clearly demonstrates how methods are used in actual practice. This updated fourth edition includes all new case studies, with additional coverage of mixed methods, non-sociological settings, funding, and a sample interview guide. The studies profiled are accompanied by observation field notes, and the text includes additional readings for both students and instructors. More than just theory, this guide is designed to give you a real-world practitioner's view of how qualitative research is handled every step of the way. Many different disciplines rely on qualitative research as a method of inquiry, to gain an in-depth understanding of human behavior and the governing forces behind it. Qualitative research asks "why" and "how," and the data is frequently complex and difficult to measure. This book shows you how to effectively handle qualitative work, regardless of where it's being applied. Understand the strengths and limitations of qualitative data Learn how experts work around common methodological issues Compare actual field notes to the qualitative studies they generated Examine the full range of qualitative methods throughout the research process Whether you're studying sociology, psychology, marketing, or any number of other fields, especially in the social and behavioral sciences, human behavior is the central concern of your work. So what drives human behavior? That's what qualitative research helps to explain. Introduction to Qualitative Research Methods gives you the foundation you need to begin seeking answers.
Fundamentals of Qualitative Research
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Fundamentals of Qualitative Research approaches qualitative inquiry as a strategically selected composite of genres, elements, and styles. Saldaña, author of the bestselling book, The Coding Manual for Qualitative Researchers, brings clear writing and explanatory prowess to this new textbook for learning the fundamentals of qualitative research methods.This book presents a concise yet rigorous description of how to design and conduct fieldwork projects and how to examine data in multiple ways for interpretive insight. Saldaña, a master teacher and qualitative data analyst, acquaints readers with the major genres of qualitative research available and the elements of interviewing, participant observation, and other data collection methods to inform emergent research design decisions. An extended chapter on qualitative data analysis is one of the book's unique features. Saldaña devotes necessary coverage to conceptual foundations, coding, analytic memo writing, thematic analysis, assertion development, grounded theory, narrative and poetic inquiry, and ethnodramatic approaches to the data. Eight distinctive styles of qualitative writing are presented. The book concludes with a list of recommended readings in the field, as well as additional resources on organizations and associations dedicated to qualitative research.Fundamentals of Qualitative Research is an ideal introduction for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in education, sociology, psychology, anthropology, human communication, and health care.
Quantitative Social Research Methods
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Quantitative Social Research Methods explores the entire spectrum of quantitative social research methods and their application, with special reference to the development sector. It provides detailed coverage of all statistical research and analysis method with an emphasis on multivariate analysis techniques, such as regression discriminant analysis, logistic regression, factor, factor, cluster, correspondence and conjoint analysis. The book is thematically arranged in two sections: the first section introduces development research techniques, explores the genesis and scope of social research, research processes and then goes on to explain univariate, bivariate and multivariate data analysis with the help of software packages such as SPSS and STATA. The second focuses on the application of social and development research methods in the development sector. It explores research method application and the issues relevant to aspects of development such as population, health and nutrition, poverty and rural development, education, water and sanitation, and environment and natural resource management.
Quantitative and Statistical Research Methods
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Quantitative and Statistical Research Methods This user-friendly textbook teaches students to understand and apply procedural steps in completing quantitative studies. It explains statistics while progressing through the steps of the hypothesis-testing process from hypothesis to results. The research problems used in the book reflect statistical applications related to interesting and important topics. In addition, the book provides a Research Analysis and Interpretation Guide to help students analyze research articles. Designed as a hands-on resource, each chapter covers a single research problem and offers directions for implementing the research method from start to finish. Readers will learn how to: Pinpoint research questions and hypotheses Identify, classify, and operationally define the study variables Choose appropriate research designs Conduct power analysis Select an appropriate statistic for the problem Use a data set Conduct data screening and analyses using SPSS Interpret the statistics Write the results related to the problem Quantitative and Statistical Research Methods allows students to immediately, independently, and successfully apply quantitative methods to their own research projects.
Mixed Methods Research
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This accessibly written book is ideal for use in graduate courses or by practicing researchers and evaluators. The author puts the research problem at center stage, showing how mixed methods designs can fruitfully address different types of research questions. She illustrates the discussion with examples of mixed methods studies from a variety of disciplines and qualitative approaches (interpretative, feminist, and postmodern). The text demonstrates how to navigate ethical issues; gather, analyze, and interpret data; and write up the results, including an in-depth example with step-by-step commentary. Special features include "researcher standpoint" reflections from leading scholars and practical strategies to help users develop their own research perspectives. Every chapter concludes with a glossary, discussion questions, and useful Web resources.
Mixed Methods Research
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Oxford Handbook of Multimethod and Mixed Methods Research Inquiry
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Offering a variety of innovative methods and tools, The Oxford Handbook of Multimethod and Mixed Methods Research Inquiry provides the most comprehensive and up-to-date presentation on multi- and mixed-methods research available. Written in clear and concise language by leading scholars in the field, it enhances and disrupts traditional ways of asking and addressing complex research questions. Topics include an overview of theory, paradigms, and scientific inquiry; a guide to conducting a multi- and mixed-methods research study from start to finish; current uses of multi- and mixed-methods research across academic disciplines and research fields; the latest technologies and how they can be incorporated into study design; and a presentation of multiple perspectives on the key remaining debates.Each chapter in the volume is structured to include state-of-the-art research examples that cross a range of disciplines and interdisciplinary research settings. In addition, the Handbook offers multiple quantitative and qualitative theoretical and interdisciplinary visions and praxis. Researchers, faculty, graduate students, and policy makers will appreciate the exceptional, timely, and critical coverage in this Handbook, which deftly addresses the interdisciplinary and complex questions that a diverse set of research communities are facing today.